Google does have an online Learning Center as part of the http://www.PennsylvaniaGetOnline.com website that has video tutorials that cover a lot of the content from the live event. Google likes to give people the option of accessing the free website offer and resources directly from the website, or by attending the event in-person. The launch event gives businesses an opportunity to come and get their questions answered through one-on-one interaction with Google and Intuit employees, which many businesses appreciate. But again, we understand that there is a need to make this content available in an as many ways as possible and Google is working to make that happen.

In Pennsylvania, students do not take the PSSA in all grades or subject areas (PSSA Math and Reading is given to students in grades 3-8 and 11; Science is grades 4, 8 and 11; Writing is 5, 8, and 11). Almost 70% of the teaching force is teaching in non-tested subject areas and/or grade levels.

The teacher evaluation system is being built with the understanding that the summative assessment data will be one of several sources that can be used by districts and schools to consider progress. This is considered a multiple measures approach and provides flexibility to districts. It is not multiple measures of the same exam results but rather different data sources that could include local assessments or AP results, for example, or data such as projects successfully completed by students and graduation rates. Multiple measures means not relying on one source, but rather determining many ways to measure student achievement, learning and growth.

Thank you for your questions.

Doesn’t the very nature of data-driven instruction simple encourage teaching to the test? Teachers will be caught up with (at least 50% of the time) with how their students will do on the exam so doesn’t that mean that their instruction will be so narrow that we take the chance of our students only being able to read and write with narrow fluency?

Isn’t this the same type of instruction that is currently the norm in Florida? They dedicate so much time and energy to passing the FCAT but has there been any real assessment to the students abilities to read and write at high levels? Yes, a cause-and-effect relationship is high-level but simply identifying the cause-effect relationship of a reading passage is not.

Dale W. Deist, Founder
Deist Industries, Inc.